BACK FROM THE BRINK

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Physicians for Social Responsibility Wisconsin, along with a coalition of community and faith groups, began talking with Madison City Alders in 2018 about passing a Back from the Brink (BftB) Resolution.

Back from Brink Resolutions call on our federal government to:

The City of Madison Back from the Brink Resolution also commits the Madison to nuclear weapon - free investments and contracts.

Madison residents can contact their alder today! Below are helpful resources.

Download further background on Back from the Brink in Madison >>

Find your Madison Alder and their contact information here >>

Download a sample letter to print and mail or e-mail to your Madison City Alder >>

Download the Back From the Brink Background US handout (electronic version) >>

Download the Back From the Brink Background US handout (print version) >>

Download a draft Back from the Brink Resolution >>

Download information on cities that have divested from nuclear weapons investments and contracts >>

About Back from the Brink

Seventy three US cities and counties and five state legislatures have passed Back from the Brink Resolutions. Thirty four Congressional Representatives have co-sponsored House Resolution 77, which urges the US government to follow the five Back from the Brink recommendations listed above.

Photograph: Mary Altaffer/APSource: Treaty banning nuclear weapons approved at UN

Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

Source: Treaty banning nuclear weapons approved at UN

Thirteen US cities have also passed resolutions that commit themselves to nuclear weapon free investments and contracts: Arcata, CA, Berkeley, CA, Cambridge, MA, Charlottesville, VA, Easthampton, MA, Hollywood, CA, Newton, MA, Northampton, MA, Oakland, CA, Ojai, CA, Santa Barbara, CA, Santa Monica, CA and Takoma Park, MD. View more information about these cities and divestment by downloading this document.

NYC voted in December 2021 to divest its city pension funds from nuclear weapons production, an amount totaling $475 million.

The US Conference of Mayors endorsed a Back from the Brink Resolution in June 2018; Madison’s former Mayor Soglin was one of its sponsors.

CITY OF MADISON RESOLUTION

You Can Help!

If you want to help prevent nuclear war, please contact your Alder and ask her or him to support the Back from the Brink Resolution.

In 1983, the Madison City Council passed an ordinance declaring the city a “nuclear free zone”. 

In 2019, Madison passed a proclamation commemorating August 6th as Hiroshima Day and August 9th as Nagasaki Day. The 2019 proclamation called on the US to live up to its obligations under the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty and cancel the nuclear weapons modernization program.  

We are asking our City Council members (Alders) to pass a Back from the Brink Resolution which builds on the 1983 ordinance and the 2019 proclamation and commits the city to nuclear weapons free contracts and investments.

Some say nuclear disarmament is an issue that should be taken up with our Senators and Representatives rather than our City Council members. But with enough grassroots action, national policy can be changed.

Co-sponsors of Madison Back from the Brink Resolution:

  • 350 Madison

  • Dane County Chapter of United Nations Association

  • First Unitarian Society Social Justice Ministry

  • Four Lakes Green Party

  • Friends Meeting of Madison

  • Interfaith Peace Working Group

  • Madison Mennonite Church

  • Our Wisconsin Revolution

  • Physicians for Social Responsibility – Wisconsin

  • Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society Social Action Committee

  • Progressive Dane

  • Raging Grannies of Madison-Dane County

  • General Synod of the United Church of Christ

  • Veterans for Peace - Chapter 25

  • Wisconsin Network for Peace, Justice and Sustainability

  • Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom - Madison.

  • World BEYOND War - Madison Chapter